“Irving Berlin is the greatest songwriter that has ever lived. He has had a greater influence on American music than any other one man. By freeing American song, and by introducing and perfecting Ragtime, he was the first to sow the seeds of an American music.” – George Gershwin.

Irving Berlin’s is the epitome of the American success story. 

He remains the most prolific of all American composers, whose career spanned 60 years, writing an estimated 1500 songs, many of which are still heard and played a century later.

American jazz pianist and arranger John Fresk and Czech/South African singer Barbora Tellinger have created a project which aims to bring together jazz musicians from across the globe in a celebration of Berlin’s music. 

Launching  March 3rd 2023 at the Jazz Dock in Prague, Between Berlin & Bebop will feature Ukranian Taras Voloscuk on bass, Welsh Osian Roberts on tenor sax, Czech drummer and educator Martin Šulc, Czech trombonist and teacher Přemysl Tomšíček, and Czech trumpeter Martin Jůzl.

The aim of the project – collaborating with a vast network of American, Czech and global jazz musicians – is to arrange, perform, and record a wide variety of Berlin’s material over the next few years.

We’re happy to share our year-end gig schedule for 2019. Beginning with a Friday at our 2nd home, Malyglen, with Milos and Martin. Then the first of two gigs at Prague’s oldest jazz club, the Reduta, on 8 November. We’re excited about our first Jazzboat appearance on 29 November, and just damn thrilled to be playing some of our own material with the Pribrami Big Band on 2 December. This will be followed by Malyglen, Christmas at the Reduta, and back on the Jazzboat on 27 December.

Great news!

Our new album, “As Long As You’re Living” is officially released! It is available as a physical, hard-copy by contacting us at [email protected], or as a digital download from the following sources:

iTunes – click here.
Amazon – click here.
Spotify – click here.
Google Play – click here.

Please support our efforts to be heard and distributed. We are very proud of this project, and we are sure you’ll love it!

Thanks so much –

John and Barbora

Our new studio album out next week. With Marc Duby on upright bass and Godfrey Mgcina on drums. Some familiar tunes for jazz lovers, some quirky songs from way back when, and some of our latest original material. Our best yet. Videos up soon.

If you click the link above, you can hear a sample from our upcoming CD. We’re excited to be releasing the album in March! The album features the quartet, with Marc Duby on bass and Godfrey Mgcina on drums. We’re doing songs from the Great American Song Book, some pieces from the contemporary jazz lexicon and several of Barbora’s great original pieces. Right now we’re still editing, mixing, mastering, determining the artwork and scheduling videos. Whew! There’s a lot involved, but in the end, it will be VERY much worth the wait!